NANAIMO — A First Nations organization based in Nanoose Bay provided widespread in-person during Pope Francis’ recent visit to Edmonton.
The pontiff’s apology for the role of the Roman Catholic Church for widespread abuses of Indigenous peoples attending residential schools in Canada was cushioned by immediate support from Tsow-Tun Le Lum Society members.
The organization runs a substance abuse and trauma treatment centre based on Snaw-Naw-As territory in Nanoose Bay. Nola Jeffrey with Tsow-Tun Le Lum said their team of eight people offered cultural based healing to about 700 people.
“We supported people out there from all across the province, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, but we also supported non-Indigenous people, we had the Clergy come for brushings.”
The trip, funded by the First Nations Health Authority, included Elders in residence involved with Tsow-Tun Le Lum Society programming.
Jeffrey said their contingent provided comfort to people of all races and backgrounds, from Indigenous Peoples to those from several different countries and vocational backgrounds who were in Edmonton for Pope Francis’ visit.
The Pope’s apologies on Canadian soil did not go far enough in the eyes of some critics because he failed to make it clear the Catholic Church, not just a few bad people, was responsible for residential school abuses.
Francis acknowledged sexual abuse inflicted on “minors and vulnerable people,” but he did not specifically say sexual abuse happened at residential schools.
“It’s not just Indigenous people that need to heal, I think all people need to heal and somebody caused these harms and there needs to be accountability for that (and) more than just words,” Jeffrey said.
Pope Francis strengthened his language regarding abuses Indigenous populations faced during forced tenures at residential schools, which he said amounted to genocide.
The pontiff made the comment while speaking to reporters on a flight back to Rome following his six-day tour of Canada.
— with files from Jon de Roo (97.3 FM The Eagle) and The Canadian Press
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